Regulator system



Feb. 2,l926. 1,571,909

W. E. MENZIES REGULATOR SYSTEM Original Filed July 13, 1922 WITNESSES: INVENTOR Wheat/44W" I William E Menzis.

' ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,571,909 PATENT OFFICE.

WII LIAM E. MENZIES, F IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC .8: MANUFAGTURIN GOMIANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATOR SYSTEM.

Application filed July 13, 1922, Serial No. 574,736. Renewed January 7, 1926.

and it has special relation to systems of voltage regulation.

The primary object or my invention is to provide a system of the above-indicated character that shall be responsive to a characteristic other than the full voltage of the controlled machine and that shall govern the excitation of the same to improve the voltage characteristics thereof commensurate with variations in the load circuit.

My invention is illustrated as applied to a generator adapted to charge a storage battery and also to supply a, lighting circuit. In charging a' storage battery, the voltage of the load circuit is raised proportionally to the state of charge of the battery. That is to say, when the battery is discharged, the voltage thereof may be, for example, substantially 36 volts, 'Whereas, when the battery fully charged, the voltage thereof is substantially 42 volts. This increase in voltage of the load circuit aitects the voltage delivered by the generator by reason of the efiect of armature reaction on the field-magnet winding flux.

Thus, in order to improve the voltage regulation upon the load circuit so that there may be no perceptible eft'ect upon the lighting circuit, I propose to connect the coil of a vibratory voltage regulator to one of the main brushes and to a third brush bearing upon the commutator cylinder of the armature and so located that the effect of armature reaction is to decrease the voltage on the regulator coil as the armature current decreases. This regulator controls a rheostat located in the circuit of the field-magnet winding of the generator.

My invention will be best understood from the accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a diagrammatic illustration of circuits and apparatus constituting one embodiment of my invention.

A generator 1, which comprises an armature 2 and a shunt field-magnet winding 3,

is adapted to be operated by a prime mover 4., here conventionally shown as an internal-combustion engine. The. armature 2 has co-operating therewith a pair of main brushes 5 and 6 to which the load circuit is connected, and the direction of rotation of the armature is indicated by the arrow Herein the load circuit is illustrated as including a storage battery 10 and a lighting circuit.

The field-magnet Winding 3 has in circuit therewith a rheostat 7, which is adapted to be periodically short-circuited by the operation of a regulator 8, comprising a pivoted lever 9, a pair of co-operating contact mem bers 11 located near one end thereof and a cont-r01 electromagnet 12 that is pivotally connected near'the other end or" the lever 9. There is also a spring 13 co-operating with the lever 9 and located on the opposite side of the pivotal point from the electromagnet 12, to oppose the action thereof.

The electromagnet 12 has a coil 14 that is energized from a third brush 15, which co-operates with the generator armature 2, and one main brush 6. It will be noted that the third brush is so located that the current therethrough is decreased'proportional to the reaction occurring by reason of a decrease in armature current.-

'Tt has been heretofore pointed out that, as the battery 10 becomes charged, there is a decrease in the current traversing the armature circuit, whereby the effect of armature reaction in the generator is also de creased. By suitably proportioning the mg no ulator, the resultant current of lower value in the coil 14 decreases the pull of the electromagnet 12, thereby enabling the spring 13 to close the cont-act members 11 to short-circuit the rheostat 7 in the field-magnet- 5 winding circuit. The field of the generator being increased, there is an increased voltage delivered by the generator to the load circuit. Since the regulator 8 is of the vibratory type, the eitect of decreasing the ener- 190 gization of'the electromagnet 12 is to increase the average length of time the rheostat 7 is excluded from the field-magnet winding circuit. ,7

The advantage of the present system is that close regulation is obtained upon the load circuit of a generator adapted to charge a storage battery; particularly in cases where the battery is adapted to have a taporing charge. That is to say, a six-volt inture, said brush char e in the battery, the armature reaction so a ects the current induced beneath the third brush 15 as to cause the re lator to increase the strength of the fie d-magnet winding of the generator. Furthermore, the

tapering charge decreases the current delivered by the generator, consequently increasing the effect upon the regulator and rendering the same more sensitive.

It is to be noted that the voltage of the generator is not necessarily maintained constant, it is merely maintained proportional to the increased state of charge of the battery and-therefore, the tapering charge of the battery is in no way affected. The pro- Eortioning of the'regulator is such that sufciently close voltage regulation is maintained u on the generator 1 to preclude any percepti le change in the illumination of the lamp load by reason of variations in the state of charge of the battery.

It may be desirable, with certain types of regulators, to so roportion the regulator that the opposite e ect may be obtainedupon the enerator; or the auxiliary brush 15 may e so placed as to receive current that is strengthened by the elfect of armature reaction.

Modifications in the system and arrangement and location of parts may be made within the spirit and'scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a system of reg'xulation, the combination with a generator aving an armature, a plurality of brushes therefor, and a fieldmagnet winding, of a regulator for governing theexcitation of said generator, said regulator being". responsive to ,current de rived from said generator through one of the brushes co-operating with saidarmaceive current that decreases with a decrease in armature current. 2. In a system --of regulatlon, the combi- ,tact members controlle ,electromagnet having a coil that is enereingso located as to reture, main and auxiliary brushes -co-operating therewith and a fieldemagnet winding, and a rheostat in circuit with said field-. magnet winding, of a-.regulator adapted to control a shunt circuit for said rheostat, said regulator comprising a dpivoted lever, conthereby, and an gized from said auxiliary brush and one of said main brushes.

'3. In a system of regulation, thecombination with a generator having an armature, main and auxiliary brushes co-operating therewith and a field-magnet winding, and a rheostat in circuit with said field-magnet winding, of a regulator adapted to control a "shunt circuit for said rheostat, said regu lator comprisin a pivoted lever, contact members control ed thereby, and anelectro magnet having a coil that is energized from said auxiliary brush and one of said main brushes, said auxiliary brush being so 10- cated that the current taken thereby is decreased with a decrease in the armature current. y

4. In a system of voltage regulation, the combination with a generator having an armature, main andauxiliary brushes cooperating therewith and a field-magnet winding, a rheostat in circuit with said fieldmagnet winding and a load circuit for said generator comprising a storage battery and a lightin circuit, of a re ulator adapted to contro said rheostat, sai regulator comprising an electromagnet having a coil that is energized from sald auxiliary brush and one of said main brushes so that the current therein decreases when the current in said .load circuit decreases. I

5. In a system of voltage regulation, the combination with a generator having an armature, main and auxiliary brushes cooperating therewith and a load circuit ,connected to said generator, of a regulator adapted to govern the excitation of said enerator, said regulator being energized rom said auxiliary brush and, one of said main brushes so as to increase the generated voltage-with a decrease in' load upon the generator.

In testimony whereof, Ihave-hereunto subscribed my name this Sth'day of July,

'1922. nation with a "generator having an arma- WILLIAM E. MENZIES. 

